With hot air blowers or hot air guns are electric fans, whose task is the heating of work surfaces. The versatile devices are used everywhere, where something is to dry or where old surfaces are to be solved by heat. Use with temperatures of 100 to 650 degrees Celsius Heat Guns only the heated air and come out without an open flame. The variety of devices is as extensive as the applications and requires knowledge of quality criteria and features when choosing.

Operation and types of hot air blowers

A fan provides in the Heat gunfor heating the intake air from the environment. This air is heated with a heating element before it flows out of the device again. Here, an air flow of up to 500 liters per minute is achieved. The devices are able to keep the temperatures of the intake air independently constant. The temperatures can be regulated in various ways, with some devices also infinitely or electrically. The heated airflow can be directed by certain attachments or outlet nozzles in the desired direction in most devices.

Different types and quality levels of hot air blowers differed among other things with regard to the adjustability and metering of the temperatures and the air flow. For example, simple devices often only have a coarse setting that makes them less suitable for finer work. Such usually offered at low prices devices allow only a gradual adjustment and turn depending on the level of individual heating coils. Precise heating of work surfaces requires more accurate settings of these parameters.

High-quality tools are usually infinitely variable and thus allow a precise adjustment of temperature and air flow. For electronically controlled devices, an internal sensor takes over the regulation of the outflowing air temperature. Heating elements such blowers are usually electronically controlled and allow precise adjustment of the desired temperature. Another advantage electronically adjustable Heat Guns can be found in an optimized adaptation to different top nozzles. In particular, the processing of plastic surfaces often requires a very specific temperature, so that a stepless regulation is important.

Another important distinguishing feature is the suitability for continuous operation. Only those devices that are explicitly designed for continuous use, are suitable for longer work use. Other devices require a regular cooling, which not only costs time if desired continuous operation, but also allows the already heated surfaces to cool again. Predominantly require Heat Guns a power supply. Above all, the heating element requires an energy source. For mostly mobile work without existing power source are therefore usually gas burnerused to generate hot air.

Purposes and selection criteria

Many work or home workspaces may require targeted and controlled heating of surfaces. A typical application is the removal of old paint or varnish. Also for the deformation of plastics, in particular thermoplastic materials, hot air guns are used. The application of adhesive films or the welding of plastics are other uses. In the garden, the devices also like to use when grilling, as it can bring the coal quickly and without smoke to temperature. Heat Guns allow heating in a precise manner and without an open flame. Hot air guns therefore have an advantage over appliances such as Bunsen burners, since their use involves less danger of damaging or modifying the surfaces.

Depending on the area of ​​application, criteria for the purchase decision mainly concern performance, accessories (such as top nozzles) as well as the controllability of air flow and temperature. A high-quality, finely adjustable device for professional use can be found in the popular Bosch Professional GHG 660 LCD, for example. The device also allows the display of the set parameters on an LCD display. Anyone who does not need such exact adjustment options and uses the device mainly for simple applications will find in the well-tested Mannesmann M49500 a much cheaper device with two levels for temperature and air flow.